Innovation

TOKYO (Nikkei)--As a manufacturer of pressure vessels used in nuclear reactors, Japan Steel Works Ltd. (5631) has long been thought of as a nuclear power plant stock.

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Nabtesco Corp. (6268) plans to market systems that stabilize wind turbine output by controlling the direction and angle of the blades in response to wind conditions.

NAGOYA (Nikkei)--Toyoda Gosei Co. (7282) has developed a type of plastic from which it has made car hoods and fenders that it says are as strong as those produced from sheet steel but 40% lighter.

OSAKA (Nikkei)--Riken, a government-affiliated research organization, said Monday that its advanced laser facility will begin full-scale operation in March, making it possible to observe protein activity in cells and chemical reactions on the atomic level.

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Astellas Pharma Inc. (4503) is ramping up its focus on cancer treatments, and playing a big role in its push are so-called tailor-made medicines, a niche that is attracting increasing attention as a powerful new weapon in the fight against cancer and other tough diseases.